Cast & blast camping at Martin Dies State Park

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Usually these dogs were a blur of brown racing through the brush. They were quiet until they found something to bark about.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Delbert Ross releases a largemouth bass into the Neches River near Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Fancy scans the treetops for movement. The mountain cur is known for its speed and stamina, both of which are necessary in squirrel hunting.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Katie checks on the Dutch oven bread while preparing an evening meal at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Camp cooking is Katie's therapy.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES These turtles along one of the trails at Martin Dies Jr. State Park were not shy. On the lake, however, they were more likely to plunge into the water as we approached.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Delbert Ross prepares to release our biggest bass of the day, which he caught on ultralight tackle using a tiny Road Runner. It weighed nearly 4 1/2 pounds.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Katie used every method available for cooking, including coals from our campfire, a traditional Coleman stove and our new Coleman RoadTrip Tabletop Grill.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Whitetail deer are a common and welcomed sight at Texas state parks and part of the charm of campsite living wherever we go.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Katie parents and niece came for dinner our first night at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Here, her mom takes a peek at Katies nilgai stew.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES This gives you an idea of majestic nature of wooded areas where squirrel hunting is done in East Texas.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Spanish moss dripping from cypress trees reminds me of my youth fishing with Dad. I had plenty of reminders during our camping trip to Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Katie and the dogs take a break along one of the new trail benches built since Hurricane Rita ripped through Martin Dies Jr. State Park in 2005. The park is fully restored.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Here, Max demonstrates his tightrope walking skills during a squirrel chase. You should see him climb trees.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES White crappie and black crappie are abundant in and lake and rivers that border Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Delbert Ross and I caught as many as we wanted.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES We visited Heritage Village in nearby Woodville during our camping trip to Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Focus and intensity are two valuable traits in a good squirrel dog. Max excels at both.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES We used nine-foot crappie rods with six-pound test line. This largemouth bass put quite a bend in that limber pole.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Delbert Ross cruises through some of the backwaters and creeks off Steinhagen Reservoir. We spent most of our time fishing the Neches River.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Campsites at Martin Dies Jr. State Park are spacious, with many along the banks of Steinhagen Reservoir. For a quieter experience, ask for a site closer to the wooded area. Highway 190 dissects the lake and nighttime truck traffic may be a distraction.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES We stopped tossing fish in the box when we reached 28 crappie. Katie and I enjoyed fried crappie for dinner, an East Texas delicacy.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Unlike South Texas reservoirs, Steinhagen Lake rarely dips below three feet of capacity. This kind of stability benefits recreational use of all kinds, including fishing.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Ferns line some of the six miles of trails within Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Usually we could tell by the tone of their bark whether they could see a squirrel, or whether the critter was on the run.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES The piers at Martin Dies Jr. State Park are wheelchair accessible. This one is near the canoe rental area.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES As best I can tell this is a yellow-bellied water snake, a harmless reptile Katie spotted along one of the trails at Martin Dies Jr. State Park.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES This armadillo took morning and evening strolls through campsites in the Walnut Ridge Unit of Martin Dies Jr. State Park. The park's leash law seemed to put it as ease.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Here is one of several fishing piers at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Remember, fishing licenses are not required within Texas state parks.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES This spot along the Neches River paid off handsomely for Delbert and me with a fast-paced bite and some of our bigger crappie.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Something high in the canopy gets Max's attention during our East Texas squirrel hunt. Max is a mis between a Tennessee mountain feist and a yellow mouth cur. A hunting machine.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Delbert Ross and Casey Powell, led by Fancy, walk the woods of East Texas during a lull in the more frantic chasing part of squirrel hunting these pine and hardwood bottoms.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES At first I thought this was some exotic lizard. But upon closer inspection I now believe it's just a deformed anole lizard.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Martin Dies Jr. State Park maintains six miles of shaded hike and bike trails through dense stands of hardwoods, cypress, pine, magnolia and birch.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES The landscape and lake reflections at Martin Dies Jr. State Park is tranquil and scenic. The park provides the kind of remote getaway where stars are brighter and life is slower.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Texas state parks have a strict policy that all dogs must remain on a leash at all times. A good idea for curious domestic pups in a big wilderness. That little Dachshund will follow his nose wherever it takes him.

DAVID SIKES

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Martin Dies Jr. State Park offers affordable canoe rentals and paddling tours the third Saturday of each month. Several on-your-own trails also are marked for more adventurous paddlers.